Kentfield, CA—April 18, 2013—Small 12-15-inch coast redwood saplings cloned from some of the largest ancient trees in the world have been shipped to Marin for planting Monday, April 22, at the College of Marin. The three small sprouts, arriving in hollow carpet tubes for their protection, will be planted in the College of Marin Redwood Grove on the Kentfield campus in a ceremony with local dignitaries, environmental advocates and school students and officials.

College of Marin is one of eight locations in the world and the only location in the U.S. to receive the plantings in a global event spearheaded by the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, a nonprofit organization in Copemish, Mich. that is working to preserve the genetics of the largest and oldest living organisms on earth. The effort is also aimed at assisting with the migration of the species during coming climate changes. Earth Day plantings will also take place in British Columbia, Ireland, Australia, Wales, New Zealand, Germany and England.

One of the saplings to be planted in all eight countries is cloned directly from the famous Fieldbrook Stump, the biggest Coastal Redwood tree that ever lived. Cut down in 1890 when its diameter measured 35 feet across, the tree, had it lived, would have surpassed the General Sherman sequoia in Sequoia National Park.

“It is an exceptional honor to steward these champion saplings here at College of Marin,” said David Wain Coon, Superintendent/President of College of Marin. “This is a great way to celebrate Earth Day.”

“The College has worked to preserve the natural beauty and resources we share and has a committed to environmentally sound practices in how we teach our students, what kind of buildings we create and the way we express our mission in the community.”

Among the keynote speakers will be award winning broadcast journalist Dana King, a former CBS news anchor who serves on the board of directors of the Archangel project. Carleen Cullen, cofounder and executive director of Cool the Earth, a grassroots, school-to-home program, will also be on hand along with a representative from the office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), College trustees and Tom Burke, campus tree expert. Conservation Corps North Bay students will help plant the saplings.

“This is a realy simple thing to do – to plant trees to help the environment,” King said. “If we want to start to reverse climate change, we can start by planting a tree. We can start by planting a coast redwood that feasts on carbon, drains pollutants out of water and emits aersols that are helpful to the environment. “It doesn’t matter what you do in life, the good works you do on behalf of children, or animals or whatever you do. If we don’t have a planet that is healthy than all that other work is for naught.”

The college is home to the natural habitat of the 500-mile wide natural climate zone for the coast redwood. The campus is a natural home for the regenerative effort, King said.

“These trees are for the next generation,” she said. “They’re for our grandkids. Young people will be the stewards of the planet and this is a great start.”

For more information call 415.716.9162More information about the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is availableonline.

ABOUT THE ARCHANGEL PROJECT
The mission of Milarch's Archangel Project (http://www.ancienttreearchive.org) is three-fold: To propagate the world’s most important old growth trees before they are gone, to archive the genetics of ancient trees in living libraries around the world for the future, and to reforest the earth with the offspring of these trees to provide the myriad of beneficial ecosystem services essential for all life forms to thrive.

The organization, cofounded by David Milarch in 2008, is creating living libraries of old-growth tree genetics by cloning old growth trees through traditional and advanced horticultural propagation for the purpose of future research and functional reforestation. Milarch and his lifelong efforts to reforest the world are the subject of The Man Who Planted Trees: Lost Groves, Champion Trees, and an Urgent Plan to Save the Planet, a new book by New York Times science writer Jim Robbins.

College of Marin is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is one of 112 public community colleges in California. Approximately 11,000 credit and noncredit students enroll annually.